Letters: Letters
Why don't more spas participate in benchmarking schemes?
Interview: Andrew Gibson
The new VP of spa and wellness at FRHI tells Katie Barnes about his plans for spas in the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel hotel chains
First person: Braving the Banya
Jak Phillips gets whacked with birch branches and endures two hours in an 80?C sauna – all in the name of wellness
Hotel spa: Green house
The family behind Ecover cleaning products invests in an idyllic hotel and spa set in the English countryside
Focus on: Gut restoration
The complex nervous system in our stomach is known as the second brain due to the impact it can have on everything from our mood to immunity. Julie Cramer investigates
Celebrity spa: Mane attraction
A passion for horses, wellness and business underpin the new US Salamander Resort & Spa that's owned by filmmaker Sheila C Johnson
Spa software: Operator case studies – part 2
Spa managers tell Kate Corney how they're using software to improve the performance of their businesses – from streamlining operations to keeping on top of revenue reports
Product focus: Private label
What companies offer white label skincare and products? And how can own-brand ranges benefit spas? Kate Corney finds out
TAC takes over at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz TAC takes over at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, one of the most well known spa destination resorts in Switzerland, initially chose TAC’s Reservation Assistant software in 2003 to manage its spa, fitness and beauty departments which include 65 treatment rooms in total. The company was impressed with the software, so deployed in more departments. Reservation Assistant now acts as a holistic solution for not only the spa, but also the public Tamina Therme thermal water complex, a medical centre with 36 doctors, six restaurants and two golf courses.
Ronny Schieler, the system manager at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, says: “Our IT system landscape is very complex and has grown steadily over the past few years. Reservation Assistant is one of our most important IT solutions and it has grown with us.” To guarantee the seamless integration of Reservation Assistant into the resort, TAC implemented several interfaces, the most important being the one with the hotel’s PR Hogatex Starlight system. “The ability to manage all our guests’ activities with a single system significantly improves our ability to provide the exceptional service that’s expected from us,” says Schieler. “At the same time, we’ve lowered our administrative costs.”
An example of how software enables seamless management can be found at the medical centre. Its appointment management allows Grand Resort Bad Ragaz to identify guests who’ve been referred by a doctor, as well as securely storing confidential information – such as medical notes – on guest’s profiles.
New technologies by TAC have also helped Grand Resort Bad Ragaz to increase turnover. For example, using TAC’s Digital Signage, synched with the Reservation Assistant software, the resort can automatically display available appointments on electronic posters across the property, so guests’ attention is drawn to treatments they can book at short notice. It’s also possible to send personalised birthday greetings via an SMS module, as well as individual offers direct to mobile phones to increase guest loyalty. Meanwhile, TAC’s implemented Web Shop enables the resort to generate online gift certificates with its own corporate design. Every certificate is assigned a unique barcode so the resort is protect against fraud and double redemption.
“So far, we have only had positive experiences with the Reservation Assistant system,” concludes Schieler.
Spa-kit.net keyword: TAC
Ronny Schieler
Digital signs help to fill spare time slots
TAC software allows seamless integration between spa, leisure, F&B and hotel departments
Canyon Ranch is cruising with Concept In 2011, Concept Software Systems took to the seas when it was installed in the Canyon Ranch SpaClub at Sea on the Queen Mary 2 ocean liner. Now it’s about to set sail once again as Canyon Ranch takes over the operation of 18 more spas on board Prestige and Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
Managing software systems at sea, where internet access is limited and unreliable, is something Concept has tackled head-on. It’s used data replication tools by Oracle, so data can be stored locally and centrally. In addition, web bookings back-up to the Canyon Ranch land-based management team when internet access is available, to eradicate the threat of data loss.
Concept has worked with Canyon Ranch, the famous US spa resort operator, for eight years. “We see our long-term relationship with Concept as more of a partnership than a client-consultant arrangement,” says Merrie Bird, the corporate IT direction of applications at Canyon Ranch. It picked Concept for its ‘simple approach of developing client-focused, bespoke and robust software solutions that enable spa and leisure facilities to maximise their business potential’.
Today, the Concept system is used for all four of Canyon Ranch’s spa-centric properties – the SpaClub at Las Vegas’ Venetian hotel alone has 180 treatment rooms. The systems are all controlled via a centrally-hosted environment which gives instant access and up-to-date, accurate data to more than 1,000 users at a time.
“Operating across multiple facilities, each on such a large scale, it was essential that the system would be able to handle millions of transactions and customer interactions,” says Bird. “It had to provide our guests with an unparalleled level of service; and provide the application users with an easy-to-use, time-saving program.”
Spa-kit.net keywords: Concept Software
Merrie Bird
Canyon Ranch and Concept first set sail on the Queen Mary 2 ocean liner
Canyon Ranch and Concept first set sail on the Queen Mary 2 ocean liner
Mindbody helps Taylored Massage Therapy Since installing Mindbody software in 2012, Diane Taylor, the owner of the Taylored Massage Therapy day spa in Ohia, US, says she’s able to dedicate more time to looking after her customers.
Her goal is to improve their quality of life by relieving their pain with customised therapeutic massages and by teaching them about healthier lifestyles.
She says the Mindbody system manages the day to day running of the business, so she can focus on services: “Installing Mindbody one of the best decisions I’ve ever made – there are so many features that have made my life easier,” she says.
The system’s web and mobile business management solutions are something Taylor finds particularly helpful. “With this internet-based program, I can look at my schedule in just a few clicks and easily distinguish available appointment times without having to be at my office.”
Taylor says Mindbody provides everything she needs to both grow and manage her practice, and that the system has helped make the business more profitable. For one thing, it makes booking easier. “Clients can request appointments online all day, every day and gift certificates are available via the online store 24/7,” she says. Automated scheduling and appointment reminders via text and email also lessen the risk of no-shows.
The system enables Taylor to monitor the performance of her company easily. She says: “Mindbody tracks current sales and compares business progress to previous months and years in a way I could never do on my own.”
Spa-kit.net keyword: Mindbody
Diane Taylor invested in Mindbody in 2012
Stejarii start-up chooses Intelligenz “I particularly like Intelligenz’s SMS and email features,” says Helen Coulon, the spa consultant of the Shiseido Spa at the new Stejarii Country Club in Bucharest, Romania. “Today, it’s all about client recognition, immediate connection and follow up. The system is also easy to use.”
The €18m (US$24m, £15m) sports, business and entertainment complex is the latest installation for Intelligenz Solutions, which is also working on projects in Sweden, India and Taiwan. At Stejarii, it’s been used to manage all aspects across the 22,000sq m (236,806 sq ft) site including spa, pool, fitness, golf, conference, tennis and squash and food and beverage facilities.
The 1,000sq m (10,764sq ft) Shiseido spa has nine treatment rooms and a day suite alongside hydrothermal experiences and full-service beauty salon.
Coulon says the software has been crucial for tracking progress in the first three months of opening. “It’s really helped us to monitor our marketing ROI,” she says. “There’s also the benefit of being able to run staff commission and bonus rewards schemes to motivate therapists. In addition, I’ve been able to see the monthly growth in the business via the reports it generates.
“Being able to collect and analyse all of this data efficiently adds up – it helps us to tailor our offer and deliver the right trends for our business today and tomorrow.”
Intelligenz’s Neil O’Connell says: “What’s winning us business is the breadth of our solution. That and our contemporary architecture: because the software’s been written in the last five years, it’s been developed from the ground up with web, mobile phone and self-service interactions in mind.”
Spa-kit.net keyword: Intelligenz
Intelligenz software is used in the club’s multiple facilities
Helen Coulon
Spa Sport Hotel Zuiver, Amsterdam picks xPlan “xPlan’s automated business processes have helped us reduce costs, while improving our guest service and increasing revenue,” says Edwin Kempes, spa manager at the Spa Sport Hotel Zuiver in Amsterdam in The Netherlands.
The 10,000sq m (107,639sq ft) spa has six pools and baths, a thermal suite with eight heat experiences, a spa restaurant and 23 treatment rooms. The spa welcomes 550 customers every day, which is why Kempes says Dimmbizz’s xPlan cashless payment system is particularly useful. Guests are given an RFID bracelet when checking in and this is scanned to register any service they have during their stay, from a spa meal to a tanning treatment. The services are automatically registered on a database so that people on packages can’t redeem something twice.
Turnstiles are currently being added to the reception so that the hotel’s spa and fitness members will be able to automatically check-in using an issued RFID bracelet. This, says Kempes, will ease pressures on front of house staff.
With the xPlan system, bookings can be made via an Android or iOS app or online and the system sends a confirmation email. Packages and treatments can then be automatically scheduled according to room availability and therapist skills.
The xPlan system is also used to manage the hotel’s tennis and squash centre (with 44 courts) and health/fitness department, which previously used two different systems. Now all three departments run off xPlan and also interface with the hotel’s PMS.
The marketing, finance and operating systems are centralised and act on real-time information. “Time that used to be spent on assembling reports and gathering data can now be spent on optimising day to day operations,” says Kempes. “This results in improved employee satisfaction, better guest service and increased revenue. It also gives us a better insight.”
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
Letters: Letters
Why don't more spas participate in benchmarking schemes?
Interview: Andrew Gibson
The new VP of spa and wellness at FRHI tells Katie Barnes about his plans for spas in the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel hotel chains
First person: Braving the Banya
Jak Phillips gets whacked with birch branches and endures two hours in an 80?C sauna – all in the name of wellness
Hotel spa: Green house
The family behind Ecover cleaning products invests in an idyllic hotel and spa set in the English countryside
Focus on: Gut restoration
The complex nervous system in our stomach is known as the second brain due to the impact it can have on everything from our mood to immunity. Julie Cramer investigates
Celebrity spa: Mane attraction
A passion for horses, wellness and business underpin the new US Salamander Resort & Spa that's owned by filmmaker Sheila C Johnson
Spa software: Operator case studies – part 2
Spa managers tell Kate Corney how they're using software to improve the performance of their businesses – from streamlining operations to keeping on top of revenue reports
Product focus: Private label
What companies offer white label skincare and products? And how can own-brand ranges benefit spas? Kate Corney finds out
TAC takes over at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz TAC takes over at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, one of the most well known spa destination resorts in Switzerland, initially chose TAC’s Reservation Assistant software in 2003 to manage its spa, fitness and beauty departments which include 65 treatment rooms in total. The company was impressed with the software, so deployed in more departments. Reservation Assistant now acts as a holistic solution for not only the spa, but also the public Tamina Therme thermal water complex, a medical centre with 36 doctors, six restaurants and two golf courses.
Ronny Schieler, the system manager at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, says: “Our IT system landscape is very complex and has grown steadily over the past few years. Reservation Assistant is one of our most important IT solutions and it has grown with us.” To guarantee the seamless integration of Reservation Assistant into the resort, TAC implemented several interfaces, the most important being the one with the hotel’s PR Hogatex Starlight system. “The ability to manage all our guests’ activities with a single system significantly improves our ability to provide the exceptional service that’s expected from us,” says Schieler. “At the same time, we’ve lowered our administrative costs.”
An example of how software enables seamless management can be found at the medical centre. Its appointment management allows Grand Resort Bad Ragaz to identify guests who’ve been referred by a doctor, as well as securely storing confidential information – such as medical notes – on guest’s profiles.
New technologies by TAC have also helped Grand Resort Bad Ragaz to increase turnover. For example, using TAC’s Digital Signage, synched with the Reservation Assistant software, the resort can automatically display available appointments on electronic posters across the property, so guests’ attention is drawn to treatments they can book at short notice. It’s also possible to send personalised birthday greetings via an SMS module, as well as individual offers direct to mobile phones to increase guest loyalty. Meanwhile, TAC’s implemented Web Shop enables the resort to generate online gift certificates with its own corporate design. Every certificate is assigned a unique barcode so the resort is protect against fraud and double redemption.
“So far, we have only had positive experiences with the Reservation Assistant system,” concludes Schieler.
Spa-kit.net keyword: TAC
Ronny Schieler
Digital signs help to fill spare time slots
TAC software allows seamless integration between spa, leisure, F&B and hotel departments
Canyon Ranch is cruising with Concept In 2011, Concept Software Systems took to the seas when it was installed in the Canyon Ranch SpaClub at Sea on the Queen Mary 2 ocean liner. Now it’s about to set sail once again as Canyon Ranch takes over the operation of 18 more spas on board Prestige and Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
Managing software systems at sea, where internet access is limited and unreliable, is something Concept has tackled head-on. It’s used data replication tools by Oracle, so data can be stored locally and centrally. In addition, web bookings back-up to the Canyon Ranch land-based management team when internet access is available, to eradicate the threat of data loss.
Concept has worked with Canyon Ranch, the famous US spa resort operator, for eight years. “We see our long-term relationship with Concept as more of a partnership than a client-consultant arrangement,” says Merrie Bird, the corporate IT direction of applications at Canyon Ranch. It picked Concept for its ‘simple approach of developing client-focused, bespoke and robust software solutions that enable spa and leisure facilities to maximise their business potential’.
Today, the Concept system is used for all four of Canyon Ranch’s spa-centric properties – the SpaClub at Las Vegas’ Venetian hotel alone has 180 treatment rooms. The systems are all controlled via a centrally-hosted environment which gives instant access and up-to-date, accurate data to more than 1,000 users at a time.
“Operating across multiple facilities, each on such a large scale, it was essential that the system would be able to handle millions of transactions and customer interactions,” says Bird. “It had to provide our guests with an unparalleled level of service; and provide the application users with an easy-to-use, time-saving program.”
Spa-kit.net keywords: Concept Software
Merrie Bird
Canyon Ranch and Concept first set sail on the Queen Mary 2 ocean liner
Canyon Ranch and Concept first set sail on the Queen Mary 2 ocean liner
Mindbody helps Taylored Massage Therapy Since installing Mindbody software in 2012, Diane Taylor, the owner of the Taylored Massage Therapy day spa in Ohia, US, says she’s able to dedicate more time to looking after her customers.
Her goal is to improve their quality of life by relieving their pain with customised therapeutic massages and by teaching them about healthier lifestyles.
She says the Mindbody system manages the day to day running of the business, so she can focus on services: “Installing Mindbody one of the best decisions I’ve ever made – there are so many features that have made my life easier,” she says.
The system’s web and mobile business management solutions are something Taylor finds particularly helpful. “With this internet-based program, I can look at my schedule in just a few clicks and easily distinguish available appointment times without having to be at my office.”
Taylor says Mindbody provides everything she needs to both grow and manage her practice, and that the system has helped make the business more profitable. For one thing, it makes booking easier. “Clients can request appointments online all day, every day and gift certificates are available via the online store 24/7,” she says. Automated scheduling and appointment reminders via text and email also lessen the risk of no-shows.
The system enables Taylor to monitor the performance of her company easily. She says: “Mindbody tracks current sales and compares business progress to previous months and years in a way I could never do on my own.”
Spa-kit.net keyword: Mindbody
Diane Taylor invested in Mindbody in 2012
Stejarii start-up chooses Intelligenz “I particularly like Intelligenz’s SMS and email features,” says Helen Coulon, the spa consultant of the Shiseido Spa at the new Stejarii Country Club in Bucharest, Romania. “Today, it’s all about client recognition, immediate connection and follow up. The system is also easy to use.”
The €18m (US$24m, £15m) sports, business and entertainment complex is the latest installation for Intelligenz Solutions, which is also working on projects in Sweden, India and Taiwan. At Stejarii, it’s been used to manage all aspects across the 22,000sq m (236,806 sq ft) site including spa, pool, fitness, golf, conference, tennis and squash and food and beverage facilities.
The 1,000sq m (10,764sq ft) Shiseido spa has nine treatment rooms and a day suite alongside hydrothermal experiences and full-service beauty salon.
Coulon says the software has been crucial for tracking progress in the first three months of opening. “It’s really helped us to monitor our marketing ROI,” she says. “There’s also the benefit of being able to run staff commission and bonus rewards schemes to motivate therapists. In addition, I’ve been able to see the monthly growth in the business via the reports it generates.
“Being able to collect and analyse all of this data efficiently adds up – it helps us to tailor our offer and deliver the right trends for our business today and tomorrow.”
Intelligenz’s Neil O’Connell says: “What’s winning us business is the breadth of our solution. That and our contemporary architecture: because the software’s been written in the last five years, it’s been developed from the ground up with web, mobile phone and self-service interactions in mind.”
Spa-kit.net keyword: Intelligenz
Intelligenz software is used in the club’s multiple facilities
Helen Coulon
Spa Sport Hotel Zuiver, Amsterdam picks xPlan “xPlan’s automated business processes have helped us reduce costs, while improving our guest service and increasing revenue,” says Edwin Kempes, spa manager at the Spa Sport Hotel Zuiver in Amsterdam in The Netherlands.
The 10,000sq m (107,639sq ft) spa has six pools and baths, a thermal suite with eight heat experiences, a spa restaurant and 23 treatment rooms. The spa welcomes 550 customers every day, which is why Kempes says Dimmbizz’s xPlan cashless payment system is particularly useful. Guests are given an RFID bracelet when checking in and this is scanned to register any service they have during their stay, from a spa meal to a tanning treatment. The services are automatically registered on a database so that people on packages can’t redeem something twice.
Turnstiles are currently being added to the reception so that the hotel’s spa and fitness members will be able to automatically check-in using an issued RFID bracelet. This, says Kempes, will ease pressures on front of house staff.
With the xPlan system, bookings can be made via an Android or iOS app or online and the system sends a confirmation email. Packages and treatments can then be automatically scheduled according to room availability and therapist skills.
The xPlan system is also used to manage the hotel’s tennis and squash centre (with 44 courts) and health/fitness department, which previously used two different systems. Now all three departments run off xPlan and also interface with the hotel’s PMS.
The marketing, finance and operating systems are centralised and act on real-time information. “Time that used to be spent on assembling reports and gathering data can now be spent on optimising day to day operations,” says Kempes. “This results in improved employee satisfaction, better guest service and increased revenue. It also gives us a better insight.”
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
